Most types of rectangular and similarly configured shipping cartons and particularly those which have top and/or bottom walls defined by infolded flap members are tape sealed with horizontal tape courses overlaying the seams defined by abutting edges of the infolded flap members, the horizontal tape course having end portions which extend onto carton front and rear vertical walls to provide secure anchorage for the horizontal run of the tape course. This mode of tape sealing is easily effected since most such cartons are relatively squat, i.e., they do not present unusually tall carton structures that might become upset or tip during conveyed passage through a taping machine, e.g., the type of machine described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,367.
There are other types of shipping cartons which cannot readily be taped with machines wherein the carton passes through the machine and tape is applied from above and/or below the carton in the tape course run referred to above. One such carton type is a telescopic shipping container wherein a cover or lid fits over a bottom or tray member. Since both the cover and tray have appreciable vertical dimension this carton may be filled with contents to a height such that the cover in place over the tray has a lower edge spaced appreciably above the tray bottom. If it was sought to tape seal this carton in an upright position with, e.g., the '367 Patent machine, the taping arms could lack length sufficient to apply a bridging run of tape from the lower region of the cover onto the tray. In similar manner such machine could not readily be used if it was proposed to simply turn the carton on its side in its travel through the machine since the contents could force the cover loose from its intended position on the tray resulting in an improperly sealed carton at best and spillage of contents from the carton during taping at worst.
Another type of carton which cannot easily be tape sealed with horizontally applied tape courses is an outsize shipping carton, i.e., one which has considerable length and Width dimension and such that the formed carton has its closure flaps at one or both of the carton ends, the ends being the panel parts of the carton of smallest area. An example of such type of carton is one in which flourescent tubes are shipped.
Sealing of these types of cartons has been made in the past by strapping them with plastic or metal banding either by hand or with a strapping machine, both procedures being highly labor intensive and marked by low production rate or unnecessarily costly. Sealing also has been accomplished by applying a vertical tape run to the carton at one or both carton ends. In the instance where an outsize carton is to be sealed, the carton is held with its large dimension horizontal and the end or flap defined walls are oriented vertically. A tape run is then applied in the fashion of a C in a course that presents terminal tape end portions adhered to the top and bottom of the carton with the intervening tape length adhered to the end wall and overlaying the inturned, infolded end wall defining flap members. In the case of a telescopic type carton, such C course will be applied from an anchoring portion on the cover, down a cover side wall bridging onto the tray and passing from the tray around to the tray bottom wall as an anchoring terminal end portion of the tape run.
Vertical taping machines which can be used to apply the course taping runs aforesaid described are known. In the operation of such machines, an operator inserts a carton against a stop in the machine which action triggers a control to cause a taping cartridge to descend and during its descent apply a C course tape seal to one carton end. The operator must then remove the carton from the machine so that the carton can ascend to a position for effecting a subsequent taping. If the thus far taped carton is to be taped at the other end, the operator must now reverse the carton and reinsert it in the machine to apply the seal at the other end. This sealing procedure is slow, requires presence of a machine operator and cannot be used in an automatically oriented packaging and shipping operation.